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Author: Niccolo Conte

Join Us as We Reveal Game-Changing Predictions for 2023

by Niccolo Conte
This post is by Niccolo Conte from Visual Capitalist

As 2022 comes to a close, this past year was packed with uncertainty and volatility across international borders and markets.

  • Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has worn on, entrenching geopolitical divides
  • Energy prices have surged around the world with record-setting volatility
  • Markets await the Fed’s pivot on interest rates as a global recession looms

To help you navigate the year ahead, we’re giving a glimpse into the future at what experts are predicting for 2023 with the upcoming Global Forecast Series.

The 2023 Global Forecast Series

Over the next few weeks, VC+ members will be receiving the ultimate cheatsheet for 2023, giving them a head start into the New Year.

This includes an in-depth report curating the most important insights from 300+ expert predictions for 2023, access to an exclusive webinar and Q&A session, along with a recap of how expert predictions panned out this past year.

To gain access to the 2023 Global Forecast Series and more, join VC+ and all these special features will be sent straight to your inbox.

Sign Up for VC+
 

Need more details? Here’s what we have in store:

“2023 Global Forecast Report”

REPORT: Your Guide to 2023’s Expert Predictions and Trends to Watch Out For

The 2023 Global Forecast Report will reveal the pivotal trends that will shape our world next year. Compiling hundreds of expert predictions, we distill their insights for 2023 into one essential report.

From how current geopolitical clashes and tensions will unfold to market and industry forecasts, this report will contain everything you (Read more...)

How Gold Royalties Outperform Gold and Mining Stocks

by Niccolo Conte
This post is by Niccolo Conte from Visual Capitalist

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The following content is sponsored by Gold Royalty
Infographic on gold royalty company returns

How Gold Royalties Outperform Gold and Mining Stocks

Gold and gold mining companies have long provided a diverse option for investors looking for gold-backed returns, however royalty companies have quietly been outperforming both.

While inflation’s recent surge has dampened profits for gold mining companies, royalty companies have remained immune thanks to their unique structure, offering stronger returns in both the short and long term.

After Part One of this series sponsored by Gold Royalty explained exactly how gold royalties avoid rising expenses caused by inflation, Part Two showcases the resulting stronger returns royalty companies can offer.

Comparing Returns

Since the pandemic lows in mid-March of 2020, gold royalty companies have greatly outperformed both gold and gold mining companies, shining especially bright in the past year’s highly inflationary environment.

While gold is up by 9% since the lows, gold mining companies are down by almost 3% over the same time period. On the other hand, gold royalty companies have offered an impressive 33% return for investors.

In the graphic above, you can see how gold royalty and gold mining company returns were closely matched during 2020, but when inflation rose in 2021, royalty companies held strong while mining company returns fell downwards.

 Returns since the pandemic lows
(Mid-March 2020)		Returns of the past four months
(July 8-November (Read more...)

Visualized: FTX’s Leaked Balance Sheet

by Niccolo Conte
This post is by Niccolo Conte from Visual Capitalist

Visualization of FTX Balance Sheet

Visualizing FTX’s Balance Sheet Before Bankruptcy

In a difficult year for the crypto space that has been full of hacks, failing funds, and decentralized stablecoins going to zero, nothing has compared to FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried’s (SBF) rapid implosion.

After an astronomical rise in the crypto space over the past three years, crypto exchange FTX and its founder and CEO SBF have come crashing back down to earth, largely unraveled by their misuse of customer funds and illicit relationship with trading firm Alameda Research.

This graphic visualizes FTX’s leaked balance sheet dated to November 10th, and published by the Financial Times on November 12th. Spreadsheet shows nearly $9 billion in liabilities and not nearly enough illiquid cryptocurrency assets to cover the hole.

How did FTX wind up in this position?

How FTX’s Bankruptcy Unfolded

FTX’s eventual bankruptcy was sparked by a report on November 2nd by CoinDesk citing Alameda Research’s balance sheet. The article reported Alameda’s assets to be $14.6 billion, including $3.66 billion worth of unlocked FTT and $2.16 billion of FTT collateral.

With more than one-third of Alameda’s assets tied up in FTX’s exchange token FTT (including loans backed by the token), eyebrows were raised among the crypto community.

Four days later on November 6th, Alameda Research’s CEO, Caroline Ellison, and Sam Bankman-Fried addressed the CoinDesk story as unfounded rumors. However, on the same day, Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) announced that Binance had decided to liquidate all remaining FTT on their books, kicking off a -7.6% decline (Read more...)

What’s New on VC+ in November?

by Niccolo Conte
This post is by Niccolo Conte from Visual Capitalist

If you’re a regular visitor to Visual Capitalist, you know that we’re your home base for data-driven, visual storytelling that helps explain a complex world.

But did you know there’s a way to get even more out of Visual Capitalist, all while helping support the work we do?

More Visuals. More Insight. More Understanding.

VC+ is our members program that gives you exclusive access to extra visual content and insightful special features. It also gets you access to The Trendline, our twice a week members-only newsletter that features the very best visualizations and data releases.

Sign Up for VC+
 

In the Coming Months…

“The Global Forecast Series”

CONTENT SERIES: A Full Exploration of Expert Predictions for 2023
Visual Capitalist Guide to 2023
As we near the end of the year, experts around the world are beginning to put out their predictions and forecasts for what’s to come in 2023.

Starting next month in December, our VC+ members will receive a full selection of exclusive content that breaks down this past year’s prediction results and everything to know for next year.

The Global Forecast Series includes:

  • A Special Dispatch recapping 2022’s Prediction Consensus
  • The Visual Capitalist Guide to 2023 report featuring the most crucial trends and forecasts to watch out for in the new year
  • A live webinar exploring our predictions database, allowing VC+ members to check in on the trends and predictions that matter most to them

Coming in December 2022 and January 2023 (Get VC+ to access)

In the meantime, what (Read more...)

How Gold Royalties Offer Inflation-Resistant Gold Exposure

by Niccolo Conte
This post is by Niccolo Conte from Visual Capitalist

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The following content is sponsored by Gold Royalty

How Gold Royalties Offer Inflation-Resistant Gold Exposure

As rising inflation has increased the operational expenses of gold mining companies, gold royalty companies have emerged as an inflation-resistant alternative for investors seeking exposure to the precious metal. 

Without exposure to rising wages, fuel, and energy costs, gold royalty companies are able to maintain strong profit margins that are often more than double those of gold mining companies.

This infographic sponsored by Gold Royalty is the first in a two-part series and showcases exactly how royalty companies naturally avoid inflation, along with the superior profit margins that come as a result.

Inflation’s Dampening Effect on Gold Mining Profits

Since mid-2021, inflation has become a constant risk-factor for investors to keep in mind as they manage their portfolio. Every energy fuel has risen in price over the last year alongside wage increases around the world, greatly impacting the expenses of material production and refining.

Gold mining is no exception, and while operational costs have risen, gold’s price has actually decreased slightly over the same time period, further impacting gold mines’ profitability and margins.

CommodityPrice change since the start of 2021
Coal+372%
Gasoline+72%
Diesel+53%
Electricity+24%
Gold-13%

The impact of inflation can’t be understated when it comes to mining operations, which require large amounts of machinery, electricity, and people.

Along with (Read more...)

Interactive: EV Charging Stations Across the U.S. Mapped

by Niccolo Conte
This post is by Niccolo Conte from Visual Capitalist

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Across America: Mapped

As the electric vehicle market continues to expand, having enough EV charging stations is essential to enable longer driving ranges and lower wait times at chargers.

Currently, the U.S. has about 140,000 public EV chargers distributed across almost 53,000 charging stations, which are still far outnumbered by the 145,000 gas fueling stations in the country.

This graphic maps out EV charging stations across the U.S. using data from the National Renewable Energy Lab. The map has interactive features when viewed on desktop, showing pricing structures and the connector types when hovering over a charging station, along with filtering options.

Which States Lead in EV Charging Infrastructure?

As seen in the map above, most electric vehicle charging stations in the U.S. are located on the west and east coasts of the nation, while the Midwest strip is fairly barren aside from the state of Colorado.

California has the highest number of EV charging stations at 15,182, making up an impressive 29% of all charging stations in America. In fact, the Golden State has nearly double the chargers of the following three states, New York (3,085), Florida (2,858), and Texas (2,419) combined.

RankStateNumber of charging stationsShare of U.S. charging stations
1California15,18228.7%
2New York3,0855.8%
3Florida2,8585.4%
4Texas2,4194.6%
5Massachusetts2,3284.4%
6Washington1,8103.4%
7Colorado1,7183.2%
8Georgia1,5963.0%
9Maryland1,3582.6%
10Pennsylvania1,2602.4%
(Read more...)

What’s New on VC+ in October?

by Niccolo Conte
This post is by Niccolo Conte from Visual Capitalist

If you’re a regular visitor to Visual Capitalist, you know that we’re your home base for data-driven, visual storytelling that helps explain a complex world.

But did you know there’s a way to get even more out of Visual Capitalist, all while helping support the work we do?

More Visuals. More Insight. More Understanding.

Last week, VC+ members received the World at 8 Billion report, which dives into the most pressing trends and effects of our global population reaching 8 billion people.

Along with this, we’re offering subscribers a bonus gift that highlights all of Our Greatest Ever Visualizations on Population for free.

Sign up to VC+ by October 11th* and you’ll receive both of these in your inbox, along with our other special features planned this month.

*Cutoff is midnight. If you’re already a member, we’ll include you in the send!

Get Access to VC+ Report and Bonus Gift

 

 

“VC+ Webinar: Exploring the World at 8 Billion”

SPECIAL EVENT: Connect with the VC+ Community to Discuss the World at 8 Billion
VC+ webinar image

We dive deep into our World at 8 Billion report to dig into the most important trends and data of our world’s demographics.

Along with exploring all of the extra insights our team couldn’t fit into the report, this webinar is also an opportunity to ask our team any questions of aspects you’re most curious about.

Coming Wednesday, October 12th, 2022 (Get VC+ to access)

“The Economic Complexity of Countries and their Exports”

SPECIAL (Read more...)

Mapped: Countries With the Highest Flood Risk

by Niccolo Conte
This post is by Niccolo Conte from Visual Capitalist

Population Flood Risk

Risk of Flooding Mapped Around the World

Devastating floods across Pakistan this summer have resulted in more than 1,400 lives lost and one-third of the country being under water.

This raises the question: which nations and their populations are the most vulnerable to the risk of flooding around the world?

Using data from a recent study published in Nature, this graphic maps flood risk around the world, highlighting the 1.81 billion people directly exposed to 1-in-100 year floods. The methodology takes into account potential risks from both inland and coastal flooding.

Asian Countries Most at Risk from Rising Water Levels

Not surprisingly, countries with considerable coastlines, river systems, and flatlands find themselves with high percentages of their population at risk.

The Netherlands and Bangladesh are the only two nations in the world to have more than half of their population at risk due to flooding, at 59% and 58%, respectively. Vietnam (46%), Egypt (41%), and Myanmar (40%) round out the rest of the top five nations.

Besides the Netherlands, only two other European nations are in the top 20 nations by percentage of population at risk, Austria (18th at 29%) and Albania (20th at 28%).

RankCountryFlood risk, by population exposed (%)Total population exposed
#1🇳🇱 Netherlands58.7%10,100,000
#2🇧🇩 Bangladesh57.5%94,424,000
#3🇻🇳 Vietnam46.0%45,504,000
#4🇪🇬 Egypt40.5%38,871,000
#5🇲🇲 Myanmar39.9%19,104,000
#6🇱🇦 Laos39.7%2,985,000
#7🇰🇭 Cambodia38.1%7,431,000
#8🇬🇾 Guyana37.9%276,000
#9🇸🇷 Suriname37.7%233,000
#10🇮🇶 Iraq36.8%16,350,000
#11🇹🇭 Thailand33.9% (Read more...)

Join Us as We Explore The World at 8 Billion

by Niccolo Conte
This post is by Niccolo Conte from Visual Capitalist

The world’s population is set to reach 8 billion people this year. As we hit this milestone, many questions about the knock-on effects linger:

  • Do we have enough food and energy resources for growing populations?
  • What transport and living infrastructure is needed in growing regions, and how will further urbanization affect our planet?
  • When could global population growth stop, and what effects would this change in trend have?

These questions only scratch the surface of the changing world at 8 billion people and the effects of these changes.

Introducing The World at 8 Billion report, exclusive to VC+ members.

Our report explores the implications and trends of this milestone in population growth. Using impactful and digestible visuals, we’ll cut through the noise to bring you the insights that matter—all underpinned with the latest, verifiable data.

Don’t miss out.

To gain access to The World at 8 Billion report, all you have to do is become a VC+ member. By clicking and signing up below, we’ll send it straight to you when it’s released later this month.

Sign up for VC+

SPECIAL BONUS EVENT

VC+ Webinar: ‘Exploring the World at 8 Billion’

To give you even more value from the report, we’re putting on a special webinar to unpack the key findings, with Visual Capitalist team members diving into the details of the most important takeaways.

Moderated by our Managing Editor, Nick Routley, the webinar will offer a behind-the-scenes look at all the additional research by the VC team as (Read more...)

Visualizing China’s Dominance in the Solar Panel Supply Chain

by Niccolo Conte
This post is by Niccolo Conte from Visual Capitalist

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visualization of global solar pv panel manufacturing capacity by country/region.

China’s Dominance in the Solar Panel Supply Chain

This was originally posted on Elements. Sign up to the free mailing list to get beautiful visualizations on natural resource megatrends in your email every week.

Many governments are investing in renewable energy sources like solar power, but who controls the manufacturing of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels?

As it turns out, China owns the vast majority of the world’s solar panel supply chain, controlling at least 75% of every single key stage of solar photovoltaic panel manufacturing and processing.

This visualization shows the shares held by different countries and regions of the key stages of solar panel manufacturing, using data from the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Solar Panel Manufacturing, by Country and Stage

From polysilicon production to soldering finished solar cells and modules onto panels, China has the largest share in every stage of solar panel manufacturing.

Even back in 2010, the country made the majority of the world’s solar panels, but over the past 12 years, its average share of the solar panel supply chain has gone from 55% to 84%.

China also continues to lead in terms of investment, making up almost two-thirds of global large-scale solar investment. In the first half of 2022, the country invested $41 billion, a 173% increase from the year before.

Country/RegionSolar Panel DemandAverage Share of Solar Panel Manufacturing Capacity
China36.4%84.0%
Europe16.8%2.9%
North (Read more...)